


this modern love

by atlantisairlock



Category: Baywatch (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Backstory, Character Study, F/F, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, High School, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not Canon Compliant, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Teen Romance, Wilfully Ignores Most Of Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 07:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11157501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock
Summary: Victoria and Steph meet in high school and the whole story goes differently.





	this modern love

**Author's Note:**

> because i'm FUCKING gay for ilfenesh hadera & priyanka chopra Oh My Fucking God? the girls in this movie deserved Better i love them so much give me all the gay ass backstories!!!
> 
> title from the book of the same name by will darbyshire.

Her parents don't like to acknowledge it, ever, but Victoria is the older twin. She comes out shrieking at the top of her lungs three minutes before Vincent follows, hiccuping thinly like the absolute wimp he is. 

It is the only time she ever comes first.

 

 

Her parents may have migrated to America for opportunity, innovation, but their mindsets are staunchly traditional. Even before he memorises his seven times table, Vincent is being taught how to run the business their father built from nothing so it only grows from strength to strength. He sweats over it, trial and error, rises again and again from his failures, his missteps. 

Victoria watches quietly from the sidelines while her mother is prattling on about how to make herself desirable so she snags herself a respectable husband. She quickly comes to the conclusion that she could easily surpass Vincent by miles, if she were just given a chance. But chances in the Leeds household are very, very limited, and Victoria decides she's going to have to seize, find, make her own.

 

 

When they turn fifteen, Vincent goes off to a prestigious boarding school to embark on his high school education. Victoria isn't given that option, of course, but her father, in a show of his pitiful idea of generosity, offers to send her to a middling private school in the city. Victoria smiles with all her teeth and says she'll be perfectly happy in the public high school three blocks down. 

Her father says something almost pleasant about girls knowing their place and Victoria holds back the urge to roll her eyes. Public school, she knows, especially this one, will be a melting pot. She will get to meet people from different walks of life, people who will pursue different routes - she'll have a whole variety of favours to call on if she plays her cards right. Vincent will be forever stuck in his little bubble, his echo chamber, blinded by his privilege and surrounded by people just like him, who can't see beyond their own noses, who just need one little push to fall from grace.

She is perfectly fine with public school.

 

 

The first time she steps into her homeroom, Victoria thinks her father would write all these people off as idiots. And yes, she decides, as she begins working her way through her schoolmates, charming and manipulating in equal measure, some decidedly  _are._ But in the same vein, many of them are  _not._ Many of them are whip-smart and sharp-tongued and observant, creative, useful. Even the idiots prove they could be expendable in some way, the perfect dispensable pawns. Her plan is unfolding exactly how she wants it to.

This changes abruptly, two weeks into the freshman year, when Stephanie Holden - swim team, stubborn, natural leader - walks up to her after school, by the lockers, and glares down at her with all the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cubs. "Okay, Leeds, you are going to cut the shit."

Victoria mentally adds  _straightforward_ to the list of adjectives to describe Steph, cocks her head and looks back at her with an expression of innocent bewilderment, perfected from practice. "Sorry, what?"

Steph's eyes narrow, and she bares her teeth in the beginnings of a snarl. "You think you're so smart? You think you're some big fuck? You think the school is your personal playground, that people are just here for you to catalog and recruit and use and dispose of as you wish? You want to live up to your family name, you want to walk all over people to feed your greed, then you should have gone wherever all the other rich kids go and left us the fuck alone."

No one has ever spoken to Victoria like that. No one has ever looked at her and seen someone who wields power, who pulls the strings - as someone dangerous. Stephanie might not like her, but in her disgust and anger she's given her something almost precious, and Victoria revels in it, drawing herself up to her full height to look Steph dead in the eye. "And who do  _you_ think you are? Some white knight, standing up for all the poor foolish patsies falling under my wicked spell? Martyred self-declared protector of the weak?" 

Something flares in Steph's eyes. "Someone's got to be," she growls, raising her hand to slam it on a locker door. Her long sleeves ride up, and Victoria immediately goes cold, because just above Steph's wrist are bruises. Five small purpling splotches that are unmistakably caused by someone's grip on Steph's arm, someone intent on hurting her. Victoria's hand snaps out and catches on Steph's sleeve, tugging it further upwards to expose more discolouration. The bile rises in her throat. "Who the fuck did this to you?"

Steph snatches her arm away, rolling her sleeve back down. She doesn't answer the question. "Keep your hands off the other students."

"Stephanie," Victoria grates out, because she thinks she might be starting to understand Steph's protectiveness, her hatred of people who hurt others, use others. "Who gave you these bruises?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that was  _any of your business - "_

"I swear upon anything and everything sacred that I will  _cut the shit_ for the  _rest of my time_ in this high school if you tell me," Victoria says, before she can really think through her words. She only realises what she's committed to when Steph stops in her tracks and blinks in undisguised shock. In the face of that surprise, the sting of what she could potentially lose doesn't even hurt as badly as she expected.

"You're serious?" Steph says slowly, thoughtfully, and Victoria has never had any qualms about lying or breaking her promises, but she means it this time when she replies. "I am."

 

 

Victoria is not in the least surprised to learn that Steph's mother is physically violent, and her father is a selfish, manipulative, gaslighting bastard, and she has a younger brother and sister she has spent her whole life protecting from the worst of her parents' abuse. It explains everything. She's honestly in awe that Steph hasn't turned out more wary, more angry, because she has every right to be. It tells of a certain strength, and Victoria can respect strength.

"I could kill them for you, you know," Victoria says, swinging her legs over the edge of the rooftop. She's completely serious. Her father didn't get the business to where it is today without making some very shady contacts, and Victoria knows at least three people she could leverage her surname on to call in a favour. Steph laughs, but it's more bitter than anything. "Okay, that's dark, but let's say you actually do it... and then what? I'm not old enough to take custody of my siblings, and we don't have any living relatives. We'll all go into the system and then I might never see them again. I don't care what happens to my parents, Victoria, but I cannot let anything happen to my brother and sister."

This concept of familial love, this devotion - it's something Victoria is wholly unable to relate to. Vincent has always been her competition and her relationship with her parents isn't any better. Her father is an obstacle, and her mother is an enabler. But when Steph talks about her siblings like that, it makes something twinge uncomfortably in her heart. For a moment she sees what she could have had, what she could have been, in another life. 

It kind of sucks. 

"So, I've kept up my end of the bargain," Steph says, cutting into her train of thought. "Now you stop doing what you're doing."

Victoria nods shortly, sighs a little regretfully, and Steph smiles, nudging her in the shoulder. "You know, what you're trying to do is find people who can be useful to you, people to be on your side and call in for favours," she points out. "You could do that if you really became someone's  _friend,_ instead of just considering them your pawns or collateral damage or whatever. And you'd get real friendship along with it. It's not a bad deal."

Spoken like someone who didn't grow up exposed to the cutthroat white-collar world, but Victoria can't help but warm to Steph's sincerity. "I'll take that under advisement."

 

 

The next four years of high school do not find Victoria many friends. Not a lot of people can keep up with her, even when she isn't trying to twist them around her little finger. As Steph ruefully notes, she makes people feel uncomfortable, feel like they're always missing something, when she talks to them. She  _does_ make friends, but they're few and far between and none of these friendships feel as real as the one she shares with Steph. After what they share on the school rooftop, they become inseparable. Steph is the only one who can, and dares to, give Victoria a fair shake. Steph keeps her grounded, makes her softer. Victoria is slowly unlearning the idea that being soft isn't weakness - isn't a bad thing. It's hard, but it feels like progress. 

Not everyone understands. They're so different, after all. Victoria is consistently at the top of her class and becomes head of the school's entrepreneurs network. Steph shines on the swim team and brings home three championship trophies by the time senior year begins. Victoria overhears Steph's swim mates straight-out ask her why she's friends with Victoria one day, when they don't realise Victoria's near the locker rooms. 

"Just because she's a little prickly doesn't mean she's a bad person," Steph says in that frank, sharp manner of hers. "She's smart and determined and sticks by the people she cares about. Those are good qualities."

Steph has a way of seeing some things in her that nobody else does, and it never stops making her feel quietly warm inside.

 

 

Steph officially turns 18 a month into their last year. Victoria, who's been carefully planning her birthday present for the past two years, puts the final stages of her plan into action. This basically involves the police and social services arresting Steph's parents on the charge of domestic abuse, and Steph being awarded custody of her siblings. She's been working endlessly to make sure the net around Steph's parents is inescapable while ensuring that Steph gets to retain legal custody of her brother and sister, and everything works out as she expects. She's good at that.

It takes Steph a week to settle paperwork and red tape and other things, but the moment she's done, she goes straight to Victoria's place and bangs on the door. Victoria's thankfully the only one home, because she opens the door and the first thing Steph does is grab her collar and pull her in so their faces are just an inch apart. 

"You," Steph whispers, voice thick and sounding funny. "Victoria, you - I can't  _believe_ \- you actually - "

And Victoria's stomach does this flip, because she thought she was doing something  _good_ for the first time in her life, something purely right and is Steph _angry,_ because she can deal with a lot but she's not sure if she can handle Steph hating her, and Victoria Leeds doesn't apologise for things but she's about to spill out a  _sorry_ and that plan is immediately scuppered when Steph closes the rest of the distance between them and kisses her.

"So you're not pissed?" Victoria has to clarify when they finally stop kissing, and Steph tilts her head back, laughs, and the sight takes Victoria's breath away. God, how long has she actually been in love with Steph and not known it? 

"Of course I'm not, are you nuts? Victoria, you just gave me everything I've never even dared to dream of. My brother and sister will  _never_ have to deal with our parents ever again, and I know it's not going to be easy taking care of them alone, but anything is better than living in fear of our parents for the rest of their lives. For them, I'll face down anything."

Victoria reaches for Steph's hand, tangles her fingers through Steph's. "You're not alone. I'll help you with whatever you need. I promise."

She's still willing to lie and cheat and break her promises to get what she wants - even four years with Steph by her side couldn't possibly turn her into Winnie the fucking Pooh or something. She's still willing to lie to anyone - anyone, that is, except Steph. So she promises, swears, for real. Steph's eyes are soft and bright with tears and she kisses Victoria again, cups her face in her hands. "I love you."

Victoria thinks about the empire of her own that she's going to build, thinks about sitting in her penthouse sipping wine and being on top of the world. Having that power in her hands. She thinks she can fit Steph into that plan, into that future, that forever. She wants it. 

"I love you too," Victoria replies, and  _means it._

 

 

They date through the rest of senior year. Steph ranks high enough on the school popularity hierarchy not to become a pariah for openly dating the so-called biggest bitch in the school, but she still gets looked at funny by everyone. She ignores them all in favour of holding Victoria's hand in the hallways. Victoria walks her home every day and gets to know the younger Holden siblings. Steph trains hard for her final swim meet and Victoria sets her eyes on becoming valedictorian. They spend more than one night tucking the the kids in then creeping up to Steph's roof with a bottle of wine Victoria took from the cellar at home, talking under the stars. It's all terribly cliche and romantic and nothing Victoria ever planned for, but it's good. 

It's not that she's getting soft. Victoria still has ambitions and a grudge burning under her skin, and she's not about to let anything get in the way of power and success, but Steph - Steph makes her better. She would raze the world to the ground for this girl, and Victoria can't see in that anything but strength.

 

 

Finals are a breeze for Victoria - it comes as no surprise when she becomes valedictorian. Steph struggles about as much as any other high school student, but makes it through okay. With her siblings' help, Steph asks Victoria to prom and it's cheesy as hell but makes Victoria laugh, so she swipes the keys to her father's car and they go to prom in style. They leave early - prom isn't as important as kissing her siblings goodnight, Steph says, and Victoria agrees, so they put the kids to sleep and then Steph puts on some music and they dance slow in the living room. The night is perfect. There's no other word for it. 

And Victoria doesn't want it to end, because with the whirlwind of senior year finally coming to a close, four years of high school ending, the reality of the situation is beginning to set in. She knows for sure she's not staying. She has offers from Ivy Leagues and Golden Triangles alike and she's getting the hell out of dodge the moment she can. It's what she's been dreaming of since the beginning, even if it's become less trying to prove herself and more a simple, overwhelming hunger. She knows Steph has dreams too, would pursue swimming competitively if she could, but she has responsibilities and she would never leave her siblings to fend for themselves, not for anything. Victoria understands that, respects it, but also knows it means they'll be going their separate ways.

Steph doesn't ask her to stay. Steph lies on her roof and stares up at the sky and tells her she  _knows_ Victoria has bigger dreams, has always been meant for something greater than this town, she doesn't want to hold her back. They both have their own paths to walk. 

"I love you, you know that," Victoria whispers, like it'll change anything. Steph squeezes her hand and leans into her. "I know." 

 

 

Vincent comes back from boarding school and is primed to enter the company. The day after he returns, Victoria tells her parents she's accepted Stanford's offer and she's going. There is an uproar, of course - her mother wails and says her place is at home, her father threatens to disown her and whatnot, and Victoria goes anyway.

Steph and her siblings are the only ones to send her off at the airport. Her eyes are a little wet when she hugs Victoria goodbye. They know better than to make promises, know better than to prolong the pain by keeping in touch and trying to make it last, but Victoria tries anyway. "I'll find you again, I will."

The  _someday_ is clear, even if she doesn't say it - as is the implicit statement that she's not going to come back home. They might find each other again, someday, but it won't be here. Victoria is okay with that.

Steph sighs and kisses her, once, for what they know is probably going to be the last time. "Be safe, Victoria."

And then she's gone. 

 

 

Victoria enjoys studying business at Stanford. Three-quarters of her coursemates are unsurprisingly ignorant and elitist, but worth keeping around because their privilege has made them cutthroat and that's an asset in a pawn, a partner. The remaining quarter have clawed their way up from little to nothing and are ambitious, wary, and Victoria can respect that too. Without Steph right by her side to keep her grounded, she becomes more cynical, more ruthless, but sometimes when the going gets particularly hard she sneaks up to the roof of the faculty building and drinks while watching the stars.

She knows there is a darkness inside her, something harder and angrier and far more cruel than she has known how to be so far, and in another world she would have fed it, let it grow and fester. 

In this world, she grits her teeth and makes compromises with herself, because she cares about more than just her own skin. 

She wants what she wants. And she'll get it. 

But she'll never burn everything to the ground for it. Only Steph gets that privilege. 

 

 

A lot of people go into the Business course knowing exactly what they want to do with their degree. The uncertain either figure it out by the end of first year or switch majors. Victoria finds her niche in property, real estate, land. It's a challenging field, and - if she's being honest - completely different from the family business, which is focused on electronics. She toys with the idea of going up against her father and brother as a direct competitor, but eventually decides against it because she's better than that, better than basing her future on a grudge. She's not here for payback - or at least, not in that form. 

She graduates from Stanford with Distinction and leaves university with nothing to her name but her name itself. And that's enough, because she'll make it enough.

 

 

Ten years pass.

Victoria gets the success she's always craved. She starts her own business and accumulates properties that only keep appreciating in value. She pays people under the table and offers good money to dig up dirt on her competitors and uses it - cautiously, sparingly, but she _uses_ it. She puts people out of business, steamrolls over them, does what she needs to in order to get to the top and stay there. 

Once, just once, she has a particularly stubborn investor standing in her way of a very lucrative contract. She complains to an old acquaintance from high school, one of the few people she managed to strike the fear of god into and get on her side, sort of - someone who's gone on to find moderate success in her own field. The acquaintance stays contemplatively silent over the phone for a moment. When she speaks again, it's very quiet. "I can refer you to someone. She's very - persuasive. She got me what I wanted, and eliminated a problematic obstacle at the same time."

Victoria knows how to read between the lines. She gives herself the luxury of considering that option - just sending an assassin-for-hire in to get rid of this one hurdle standing between her and what she wants. She thinks her father and her brother would have picked that choice without a second thought. She digs her fingernails into her palm and thinks about how she's spent her whole life trying to be better than them, trying to be anything  _but_ them. 

She thinks of Steph, and her little brother and sister. She thinks of a well-placed bullet ending Steph's life forever and leaving two innocent children behind to fend for themselves. This investor isn't just an annoyance, he has a family, a whole life beyond this contract. His life doesn't begin and end with her company, her desires.

"I mean, I don't want him _dead_ , you know," she replies. "Does your contact just, maybe, break fingers or something?"

So, yes - ten years pass. She probably travels the whole of the United States acquiring properties and selling them off at exorbitant prices. She invests in moneymakers. Which is why, ten years later, she signs for the Huntley. 

 

 

The Huntley Club is situated in Emerald Bay, Florida. It's right on an extremely popular beach and a prime location for nightlife. It's only being sold because its previous owner has earned enough to retire and jet-set around the world like he wants to. The moment she sees it, Victoria snaps it up and starts planning a major revamp of the club's image to draw in even more customers. It's only after renovations have come to an end and the club is a week from reopening that she actually flies down to Florida to take a look at the club and the area. 

One of the people on her payroll, Leon, who's overseeing and managing the actually running of the club, hires a local - Frankie - to act as Victoria's guide/gofer/bodyguard while she's in Emerald Bay. He takes her around the club and points out what changes have been made, and Frankie gives her a quick introduction to Emerald Bay and the beach. 

"You'll want to get to know Baywatch," Frankie informs her. "The local lifeguards. They've earned the loyalty of the whole town, you'll want to get them on your side."

Victoria has always been able to see the wisdom in that. "I'd like to meet them, then."

 

 

Frankie drives her down to the beach itself when the sun is about to set so she can catch Baywatch before they finish their day. They slow to a stop near a lifeguard tower, where six people dressed in similarly-coloured swimsuits are clustered together, talking. She guesses that's the lifeguards Frankie talked about. 

She's not sure what she's expecting when she steps out of the car, when all six lifeguards turn to look at her, but she's certainly not expecting  _this._

 _This_ being a startlingly familiar face among the strangers. 

 _This_ being a promise coming back to her, ten years on.

 _This_ being  _Steph._

 

 

It's Steph. Age has been kind to her, but has evidently touched her nevertheless - and yet she still looks like the Steph that Victoria remembers. Her Steph, decked out in a slim red swimsuit with shades resting on her head and staring at Victoria like she can't believe her eyes. 

The lifeguards seem to become aware of the fact that they're staring, and the tall, muscular one extends a hand and tries for a polite greeting, but Victoria doesn't let him finish, just whispers her name, quiet, disbelieving. "Steph?"

Which seems to break the spell, because suddenly Steph is lunging forward and throwing her arms around Victoria. It knocks her back a few steps, the breath leaving her lungs, and her head is spinning because she's here, Steph's  _here._ It dawns on Victoria in that instant that it's been so _long,_ and how did she ever survive all that time without Steph by her side? And now they're back together, sharing the same space, she doesn't ever want to leave again. 

 

 

They end up sitting in the lifeguard tower with the other lifeguards as Steph does introductions. The tall one who tried to greet her is the head of the team, Mitch Buchannon. The pretty blonde girl is CJ, one of the veteran lifeguards with Baywatch, and the brunette sticking close to her is Summer, her girlfriend and one of the newest trainees. There are two other trainees, both male - Ronnie and Brody. Steph introduces all of them with obvious affection and Victoria tries to listen, she really does, but after all the time they've spent apart there's nothing she wants to do but find somewhere private, just for both of them, and catch up on everything they've missed the past ten years. Thankfully, it's obvious that she wants to do the same, because once everyone is done saying hi, she's practically chasing them off and dragging Victoria by the hand to her car. 

She stops right before they both reach the car, turns to look at Victoria with this unreadable expression on her face. Victoria suddenly realises she doesn't know what to do, and just grasps for the most appropriate thing she can think of. "Steph, I'm so sorry, I - "

Steph cuts her off with a kiss. It's long and deep and intense and pretty much, Victoria thinks, sums up an entire decade of them being apart. 

"I missed you," Steph says, hands on Victoria's hips, and Victoria thinks she might have been missing Steph since she entered the departure hall in the airport back home, wonders if she's ever really stopped.

 

 

They both have the same questions for each other -  _what are you doing here?_ \- so they both end up sitting on Steph's bed and Victoria tells her side of the story first. "I'm in business now. I bought the Huntley Club and I came down to check it out."

"As if you could have ever done anything else," Steph says, and from anyone else it would be condescending or disgusted, but from her it just comes out fond. Victoria feels herself smile unconsciously, reaching over to slide her thumb against the outline of Steph's cheekbones. "How about you? Where are your siblings? I couldn't imagine you leaving them behind."

Steph grins. "I didn't. They're all grown up now - both in colleges near Emerald Bay, one in their first year and the other in their third. They both moved from home to study here, so I followed, and now I get to swim for a living, sort of. It's everything I could've asked for."

 _Everything?_ It's on the tip of Victoria's tongue but she knows better than to say it, especially when Steph's expression is soft and open and she's leaning in close to rest her head on Victoria's shoulder. 

"You're happy here?" She asks instead, and holds her breath until Steph kisses her again, gentle but lingering. "I am now." 

Victoria's supposed to stay at the Huntley for a week, then fly off to San Francisco for another business meeting before taking another red-eye to Hong Kong to discuss a deal, but in her head she starts moving around the schedule.

Ten years ago, Steph didn't ask her to stay, and she left.

Steph isn't going to ask her to stay this time either, but Victoria has found the success she was craving her whole life and she has always wanted Steph by her side while she conquered the world, and she knows better what she wants now. 

"How long are you going to be here for?" Steph asks, and Victoria hears  _please stay,_ so she smiles and gives Steph the answer she wants to hear. "As long as you want me to be." 

 

 

She hosts an grand opening party at the Huntley and invites Baywatch. Ronnie tears up the dance floor, Mitch and Brody keep trying to one-up each other in various ridiculous ways until they both end up falling into the pool, and CJ and Summer disappear within ten minutes - where they go and what they do Victoria has some idea of but doesn't particularly want to dwell on. The party is a rousing success, and lots of people bump Victoria on the shoulder yelling _welcome to the bay_ , which is cheesy and almost sweet. 

It's a good place, Emerald Bay. The bayfront is beautiful and would be worth a lot, in her capacity as a businesswoman. Victoria thinks she might have tried to buy it over if she hadn't seen Steph, sold it to the highest bidder, but Steph smiles when she works and seems so at home on the beach and it's Steph, Steph, who's always been her strength, and she could never do that in good conscience. Instead, she looks into building a small place for herself beside or above the club. 

It's not home yet, but maybe, just maybe, it could be.

 

 

She gets used to Emerald Bay and the locals get used to her. Not everyone goes to the Huntley, but they know they're all welcome.

Steph comes over most nights, and her fellow lifeguards tease her about it but they all seem pleased that Steph's happy. Which she is. They're on Victoria's roof one night, so much like what they used to do back in their teen years, and Steph just looks over at her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Victoria asks.

"For keeping your promise," Steph replies. "For finding me again."

Victoria exhales as Steph closes her eyes, as her breathing steadies and she sleeps.

She's home. 

 

 

She's been in Emerald Bay three months when Steph storms into her house and stomps around for a bit and then leaves again in a huff. Victoria follows immediately, worried, hurries after her as she walks down the beach, glaring out at the sea like it owes her something. 

"Steph, what happened?" 

"Casey Jean just called us in for a meeting and told us that someone's trying to make the bay private!" Steph growls in response, gesturing out at the view before her. "They're trying to buy over all the property and the land and take it away from the people. It's such bullshit, Victoria, trying to privatise the beach? The ocean? What kind of people try to restrict this only to the rich and powerful? Look at all of this! Look at - there are families here who have lived here for over a hundred years! Who would take everything away from them just for profit? Who could _do_ that?" 

Victoria knows _exactly_ what kind of people do that - people like her. It could have been her. It almost was. In a life where she didn't know Steph, didn't love her. It's not a possibility she wants to dwell on. Instead, she goes to Steph's side and slides an arm around her waist. "Hey, it's okay."

"How can it  _possibly_ be okay? How do we even fight this? How do we - "

"Steph," Victoria interrupts. "Babe, you're dating real estate mogul Victoria Leeds, remember?" She pulls Steph in to face her. "Help me set up a meeting with Casey Jean tomorrow."

Steph's expression goes from furious to confused to comprehending to delighted. "Victoria - you'll help us fight this?" Victoria's smile is all the answer she needs, and Steph laughs and pulls her into a hug. "I'm so glad you found me again, I'm so - happy, Victoria."

And Victoria just stands there, lets herself marvel in the way her life has worked out to come to this moment, to  _this,_ and thinks:  _I know, me too, I'm home._


End file.
